Diversifying Your Life Now That You’ve Reached Midlife

We spend all of our lives narrowing in and focusing in on what we THINK is important, only to realize at some point that we got it all wrong.

The only way to survive, reinvent who you are, move forward, have new ideas, create new adventures in your life, and develop relationships you truly want to have is to diversify instead.

Diversify Your Home

The American Dream says you should own a house. It says that as you age, you move from a starter home on up, growing in size as your family grows and you earn more money. Why? Do we really need a thousand square feet or more of space per person? Can we have it all by renting instead of owning? With Airbnb, can you find great places to live all over the world? Can you redefine living by the place you decide to call home for a week or a month, rather than by choosing one place for 30 years?

Diversify Your Relationships

You are the sum of the five people you spend the most time with. What can you do to change those five people on a regular basis? Can you find other mentors to learn from? Can you introduce new friendships into your life by joining groups?

Diversify Your Activities

Staying active keeps your muscles limber. That includes your brain muscle. When was the last time you did something you’ve never done before? Danced? Joined a club? Traveled? Joined a book club? Took up archery? Learned to surf?

Diversify Your Actions

Albert Einstein said it best: The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Results are always in your actions. When you get tired of your surroundings, quit. Do something different. Move to a new city. Start a new business. Find a new friend. Reach out to someone new. Learn a new skill. Do something new.

Diversify Your Income

I’m at the top of the Gen X demographics. I’m betting Social Security won’t exist and pensions as Baby Boomers know them won’t exist by the time I reach retirement age. I also have no plans of retiring – I’m having too much fun trying different ideas and learning new things. The best way to hedge against what the future brings is to create businesses and income streams now that will carry me through without relying on everything else. The future is all about finding ways to make money using your own knowledge and skills. The people that realize that now and start building will succeed.

Diversify Your Investments

In the past, people carried most of their wealth in their home value. But what if the real estate tumbles down and doesn’t go back up for a decade or two? That’s just one of the reasons we sold our home and have no intention of investing in another one anytime soon. Liquidity is important. So is taking advantage of changes that are taking place in our society. In good times and in bad, there are always opportunities that zoom to the top. The only question is where your focus is.

Diversify What You Read

Break out of your normal reading patterns and choose books you’ve never considered before. A biography. A memoir. One about careers or business. One about an interest or hobby. A novel. A nonfiction. One on spirituality. One on history. Even if they aren’t something you would have chosen before, commit to reading from them and opening up your world.

Diversify What You Listen To

Do you watch documentaries? Do you listen to audiobooks? How about podcasts? How about talk radio? A peek into another’s point of view can lead to your own a-ha moments.

Diversify Your Health

I have one goal: to be incredibly healthy when I hit my 100th birthday. That’s controlled my actions for over 23 years, since my father passed away from a heart attack at the age of 54. That event changed my life forever and made me think about my health every day. It controls what I eat, how much exercise I get, the stress I let in, the amount of sleep I get each night. If something isn’t working, I change it. I don’t want to be the 100 year old person living in a nursing home in pain. So I take action today.

Diversify Your Opinions

Do you regularly read about someone different than you? Do you talk with people with different political beliefs? Do you watch and learn about topics that you’ve never learned about before? Do you challenge your beliefs by listening to the opposite? The only way to build your core beliefs is if you challenge them regularly by listening to the other side with an open mind. Then ask the question: Does this make sense? Change your beliefs accordingly.